The Shan States were too fragmented to resist the encroachment of bigger neighbors.

In the north, Ming China had annexed today's Yunnan in the 1380s, stamping out final Shan resistance by the 1440s.

In the south, Burma captures all the Shan States that will become known as Burmese Shan States in 1557.

Though Shan States come under the suzerainty of Irrawaddy valley-based Burmese kingdoms from this point forward, the Shan saophas (chiefs) retain a large degree of autonomy.